Page 19 of Charm (Billionaire Buck Boys #7)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Greer

Wrapping my short silk robe around me, I rush down the stairs toward the front door.

What I thought was a light knock less than a minute ago has now turned into an incessant press of someone’s finger on the doorbell. Hoping that I’m right in my assumption that Joe is waiting for me on the other side of the door, I smile as I reach the bottom of the stairs.

A quick run of my palm over my hair is all I need to do before I race to the door and stop dead in my tracks. “Who is it?”

“You know who it is.” Joe laughs. “Let me in. I have this chocolate dessert thing for you.”

“You brought me dessert?” I ask as I lean against the door.

“Don’t sound so surprised,” he says in a tone I can barely make out. “You knew I’d come back tonight.”

After unlocking the door, I open it swiftly. “I didn’t know that.”

His gaze travels up and down my body. “Tell me you’re naked under that.”

I do one better. I show him. With a quick tug, the sash of the robe gives way, and it falls open.

“Fuck,” he groans. “You get cake later. I want you now.”

Stunned by the need in his voice, I can only nod in acknowledgement.

In one effortless movement, he drops the box in his hand on the foyer table, deposits his eyeglasses next to it, and wraps his hands around my waist.

He gives the door a kick with his shoe, sending it flying shut with a thud. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since I left you earlier.”

“But, you had work to do,” I say coyly as he plants a trail of light kisses over my neck.

“I got done what needed to be done.” His gaze finds mine. “Now, I get to do what I’ve wanted to all night.”

“What’s that?” I ask, knowing that whatever it is, I’m going to enjoy it a hell of a lot.

He pushes me back a step and then another. “What do you think?”

I stare at him as he continues marching me backward. I want to remember him forever, so I catalog the shape of his eyes and the slope of his forehead in my memory. I’ll never forget the fullness of his lips or how it felt when he kissed me.

Suddenly, I feel the large dining table behind me. Before I can protest, he’s hauled me up by my waist so I can sit on the table.

“Lean back,” he orders, pushing a finger lightly into the center of my chest.

I sprawl my hands out as I carefully lower my back to the table.

His fingertip never leaves my skin. He runs it over my hardened left nipple before it glides down the center of my body toward my core.

With his gaze still locked on mine, he yanks my ass to the very edge of the table before he drops to his knees.

Not a word leaves him as he trails his tongue along the inside of my thigh. He draws a tight circle with the tip.

“Joe,” I whisper his name. “Please.”

“I promise I’m going to enjoy this a hell of a lot more than you will,” he rasps.

I scream when he laps his tongue against my clit. Weaving my fingers in his hair to hold on to him, I glance down at this drop dead gorgeous man, fully clothed, eating me as he moans his way through it all.

I stare at the wrinkled sheet where Joe fell asleep early this morning. He was next to me then, breathing heavily in an effort to catch his breath. I watched him sleep for more than an hour before I finally drifted off, too.

We couldn’t keep our hands off each other for hours after he arrived. I practically tore his clothes off of him before we bolted for the bedroom.

When we finally came up for air, the sun was rising, and my heart felt an ache it hadn’t experienced before. I knew what it was instantly. It wasn’t regret or sadness. It was gratitude.

Joe Campbell gave me a gift that I desperately needed. I needed to let go and experience everything I haven’t allowed myself to experience in the past seven years.

I’m leaving East Hampton as a better version of myself, and I know that going forward I’ll make more time for myself. It won’t be easy, and it doesn’t have to be frequent, but it needs to happen.

“You’re packing,” Joe says from behind me. “I thought you were mine until tonight.”

Those words pierce me, but it’s in the best way possible. I was his for a short time, and I relished in that.

I turn to face him. Naturally, he’s nude. He has no shame and he shouldn’t given how striking he is.

I’m wearing a plain white T-shirt and leggings. It’s more about comfort than style for me, because I need to do a quick tidy-up before I head back to Manhattan.

“That call you took earlier was really important,” he says as if he can read my mind. “You need to go back to the place you came from now.”

Nodding, I keep my destination to myself. “Someone super special needs to see me as soon as possible.”

That’s an understatement, but this man doesn’t need any details about my life.

He scratches his upper lip. “You don’t have time for one last nude swim?”

Since it’s creeping up on noon now, and I made a vow that I’d be home before dinner, I shake my head. “I wish I did, but…”

“But your someone super special needs you.” He crosses his arms over his chest. “You asked me if I was involved with anyone, Summer.Are you?”

The way his jaw is twitching tells me that if I were seeing someone else, he’d have a problem with us sleeping together.

This man has been cheated on. I’ve never had to deal with that, but I’ve seen firsthand how that level of betrayal can impact someone.

He doesn’t want another man to experience that pain because of something he did.

“No,” I answer with no hesitation. “I’m happily divorced, remember? I’m also very happily single.”

Nodding, he takes a few measured steps toward me. The fact that his cock is hardening right before my eyes is making it hard to focus on anything but that.

“You’re staring at my cock,” he points out, laughing. “You’re more than welcome to kiss it goodbye.”

I kiss him instead, pressing my lips to his for a slow, sensual kiss.

“Jesus,” he whispers. “You’re something else.”

“So are you, Joe.”

“You’ll think of me from time to time,” he says in a low tone.

I narrow my eyes. “Is that a question?”

“No,” he answers. “It’s the truth. You’ll think of me. I’ll think of you.”

Nodding, I kiss him again. “I will think of you.”

He cups both hands around my face, kissing me again with more intensity. It stirs something deep within me.

“I need to tidy up,” I say, trying to lessen the heaviness of the moment. “I arranged for a driver to pick me up in an hour.”

“To take you to the airport?” he asks.

I tap my bottom lip with my finger. “I’ll never tell.”

He stares deeply into my eyes as though he’s searching for something. His lips part, but before he can say anything, his phone chimes.

“That’s got to be Martin.” He laughs. “I texted him early this morning to tell him not to come around until this afternoon. Leave it to Martin to show up right at noon.”

“Go,” I say softly. “I’ll clean up a bit and head home.”

He bites the corner of his bottom lip. “Take care of yourself, Summer Time.”

“You, too, Joe Campbell. “ I smile. “If I didn’t mention it before, I’m glad we met.”

He drops his hands to my body, wrapping me in his strong arms. “I am, too. I’m also pretty damn grateful you didn’t stab me with that umbrella.”

Laughing, I tap the center of his chest with my hand. “Kiss me goodbye.”

The kiss is tender as he holds me against him. I soak in the moment, and in his touch, knowing that this man is one in a million and I’m lucky that for one brief weekend I had him all to myself.